THIS year’s Copa America has served as something of a post-Euros chillout zone for those watching back in Britain, and Chile’s call-up of Blackburn Rovers forward Ben Brereton has provided an additional, unexpected storyline.

The first games of the day in the Brazil-hosted tournament often kick off at 10pm UK time, just after the late game in the Euros has finished. 

The coverage has had a low-key feel due to games being played behind closed doors and the BBC’s showing it via its digital mediums rather than on its TV channels. 

There has been no pre-match build-up, no half-time analysis and a lone commentator has been tasked with talking through the matches and providing information on the players starring in them.

One player who might not have needed introducing to some of Britain’s viewers is Brereton, who was first called up by Chile for World Cup qualifiers in early June.

Brereton’s Chile, as they will now be known in England, have already managed draws against a star-studded Argentina side featuring Lionel Messi and a Uruguay team boasting the likes of Luis Suarez and Edison Cavani.

These two draws, plus a win against Bolivia, have been enough to see Chile through to the knockout stages, and meant defeat to Paraguay on Thursday night didn’t affect their progress.

It initially appeared that Brereton would be on the fringes of the Chile squad. Manager Martin Lasarte was hesitant to start him in those World Cup qualifying games due to the language barrier.

“It’s difficult to be in the starting XI without speaking Spanish,” said Lasarte. “But with everyone’s help he is adapting to a new culture.”

That peripheral role didn’t last long and by the end of June, as Chile head into the Copa America knockout stages, the Blackburn man may well have worked his way into La Roja’s starting XI.

Having made his debut off the bench in Chile’s opening Copa America game against Argentina, Brereton made his first start in the subsequent match against Bolivia. 

He scored the only goal in that important win, getting on the end of Eduardo Vargas’ pass before finishing cooly past two defenders and the goalkeeper.

The joy on the faces of his teammates as they celebrated showed how he’s managed to integrate and endear himself to the Chile squad in such a short space of time, despite the language barrier.

“We get along well with Ben,” said Vargas. “We don’t know his language, he doesn’t know how to speak Spanish either, but we understand each other very well on the pitch.”

Brereton returned the favour for Vargas in the next game against Uruguay as the two combined in style for one of the goals of the tournament so far.

Having dragged Diego Godin out of position, Brereton received the ball from Vargas before playing a return pass around the corner into space with the outside of his boot.

The experienced Godin, one of the wiliest central defenders of the past decade, was taken out of the game completely by Brereton’s movement, and Vargas blasted his shot past Fernando Muslera to give Chile the lead.

Brereton remained in the starting XI for the defeat to Paraguay and will be pushing to start for however long Chile remain in the tournament.

“Brereton Diaz has been a huge hit with Chileans and people here have appreciated his effort and clear pride when he wears the red shirt,” says Santiago-based South American football expert Adam Brandon.

“He is the type of quality physical forward Chile have struggled to produce, so it feels like they have struck gold in finding him.

“His videos with Mauricio Isla trying to teach him some of the national lingo have been shared far and wide on Chilean social media groups. 

“He’s also been the subject of numerous debates on TV and radio, and is often referred to as Big Ben by commentators!

“Interest in him has been huge and if he continues to impress it will only grow, along with his cult hero type status.”

Brereton is able to represent the South American nation thanks to his mother, Andrea, who was born in the Chilean city, Concepcion.

Andrea moved to England as a teenager to study, as her father had done before her.

“After studying for four years in England and meeting my mother, my father went back to Concepcion, where me and my sisters were born,” she told the Lancashire Telegraph. 

“I left Concepcion in 1986 when I was 15, always thinking about returning. I came here to study, I love Chile but after marrying my husband we had two children.”

The Chilean side of Brereton’s family is represented every time he puts on the red shirt. This is especially the case as Spanish naming customs use the mother’s first surname as well as the father’s. 

As a result, he’s known as Ben Brereton Diaz when representing Chile and uses the name Brereton Diaz on the back of his shirt.

It has been one of the more captivating stories in this summer of international football and Brereton Diaz will at least go down as a cult player for Chile, and possibly in England too.

Now he appears to be a starter for his new national team, the serious business of the Copa America knockout stages begins where he’ll hope to continue to make an impact in key moments.